European AI Scanner
European AI Scanner, the RegTech tool for EU AI Act compliance. It allows firms to identify and risk classify their AI systems to comply with the various regulatory obligations, namely Articles 2, 17, 9, 61 and 62.
Background & Description
Problem
The approximate number of artificial intelligence (“AI”) systems interacted with by firms in the financial services sector is between 18,000-30,000, leading to ambiguity over their compliance costs and uncertainty over their risk exposure. The problem made AI adoption, either new systems or augmenting existing systems, by small and medium-sized enterprises (“SMEs”), large enterprises and professional services firms, e.g. law firms (the “Firms”), unattractive.
What
The European AI Scanner is a cutting-edge RegTech (Regulatory Technology) platform designed to assist companies in ensuring compliance with the European Union’s AI Act. At its core, it contains a comprehensive set of features and functionalities tailored to guide organizations through the complex landscape of AI regulations as mandated by the EU.
This innovative platform serves as a vital tool for companies operating within the European Union or those interacting with EU markets, where adhering to the stringent regulations outlined in the AI Act is imperative. It encompasses several key elements:
Regulatory Intelligence
The platform is equipped with advanced algorithms that continuously monitor and analyse updates, amendments, and interpretations of the EU AI Act. It distils complex legal language into clear, actionable insights, ensuring that companies stay up-to-date with the latest compliance requirements.
Customized Compliance Roadmaps
Based on the specific nature of each business, the European AI Scanner generates tailored compliance roadmaps. These roadmaps provide step-by-step guidance on the actions companies need to take to align their AI practices with the AI Act’s regulations.
Risk Assessment and Mitigation
The platform utilizes AI-driven risk assessment tools to evaluate the potential legal and ethical risks associated with an organization’s AI systems. It offers recommendations and strategies for mitigating these risks to ensure both legal compliance and ethical integrity.
Documentation and Reporting
Generating the necessary documentation for regulatory reporting can be a complex task. The European AI Scanner streamlines this process by automating the creation of compliance reports, impact assessments, and other required documentation. This saves time and reduces the likelihood of errors.
Ethics and Transparency Frameworks:
Recognizing the AI Act’s emphasis on ethical AI and transparency, the platform assists companies in developing and implementing robust ethical frameworks for their AI systems. It offers guidelines for explainability, fairness, and accountability in AI decision-making processes.
Training and Education
To empower companies with the knowledge needed to navigate AI regulations effectively, the platform provides training modules and educational resources. These resources help key stakeholders within organizations understand the intricacies of the AI Act and its implications.
Collaboration and Communication Tools
The European AI Scanner facilitates collaboration among various departments within an organization that are involved in AI compliance efforts. It offers communication tools to ensure a seamless exchange of information and progress tracking.
Features
AI System Register
The register of AI systems is a structured method to record the development, deployment and use of AI systems, as requested by the EU AI Act Policy. In addition to providing structure, the AI & Partners AI Register has been set up in such a way that it fully supports the requirements that the EU AI Act sets for registration.
Compliance Dashboard
The Compliance Dashboard is the heart of the European AI Scanner and gives senior management an overview of the state of AI system activities in an organisation. It is a visual representation of the Policy, yielding real-time insight into the relevant management activities.
Risks and Measures
AI & Partners offers a comprehensive environment for managing, executing and securing EU AI Act policy. In an AI system cycle staff record the identified risks in a structured way and draw up a treatment plan. The linked overview of measures is the basis for management.
Risk Analysis
Conducting a risk analysis is an extensive and complex process. AI & Partners’ European AI Scanner offers standardized threat models and AI system risk assessments (“AIRAs”), which have been developed based on industry-accepted models. The risks are integrally linked to the suppliers, the AI systems and the underpinning processes. Carrying out an AIRA is considerably accelerated and simplified because the data from the register is collected and provided.
Audit and Supervision
The audit and supervision module has been developed to safeguard your EU AI Act Policy for the short and long term. Separately or linked to previously specified measures, an audit program is drawn up and recorded. The results of the supervision are recorded in clear findings, and the follow-up actions tracked.
Knowledge Base
All internal and external documents are collected in one place. The knowledge base comes with a set of basic documents, which can be supplemented with internal knowledge and agreements with suppliers.
Norms and Testing Frameworks
The management of AI systems and the EU AI Act require clear guidelines for measuring quality and compliance. AI & Partners supports a growing number of standards that guide professionals.
The starting point is that the norm or standard provides the framework for setting up targeted tasks that are assigned to the firm and can maintain an overview of the central and decentralized activities.
Work Packages
The road to Compliance is not a single path that fits every firm. Compliance in itself is also not a business objective, but a precondition: the requirements and measures that follow from legal or quality standards must be incorporated into clear processes and work packages requiring coordination with several operational levels. The European AI Scanner provides work packages for designing achievable compliance objectives
AI Smart Hub
Effective AI system management means having up-to-date information. However, setting up and maintaining a solid administration takes a lot of time and is often difficult. AI Smarthub supports firms in setting up and maintaining this administration.
How this technique applies to the AI White Paper Regulatory Principles
More information on the AI White Paper Regulatory Principles.
Safety, Security & Robustness
The identification and risk classification process thoroughly evaluates potential safety and security concerns inherent in AI systems. By scrutinising system behaviour and vulnerabilities, the approach actively mitigates risks, fostering the safe and robust deployment of AI solutions.
Appropriate Transparency & Explainability
The European AI Scanner’s approach prioritises transparency and explainability by assessing how AI systems communicate their operations and decisions to users. This ensures that AI technology is comprehensible and accountable, promoting ethical usage and user trust.
Fairness
The approach critically examines AI systems for biases and fairness issues. By analyzing data sources and outcomes, it seeks to rectify any disparities that might emerge, reinforcing the principle of equal treatment and unbiased results.
Accountability & Governance
The identification and risk classification process embraces accountability by assessing AI systems’ mechanisms for accountability in decision-making. This aligns with effective governance, enabling organisations to assume responsibility for their AI systems’ actions.
Contestability & Redress
The identification and risk classification process embraces accountability by assessing AI systems’ mechanisms for accountability in decision-making. This aligns with effective governance, enabling organizations to assume responsibility for their AI systems’ actions.
Why we took this approach
We developed the European AI Scanner to address the complex landscape of regulatory compliance within the EU AI Act. This approach was chosen to provide firms with a comprehensive, standardised, and efficient method of assessing and achieving compliance. By offering a structured and automated process, the tool simplifies the compliance journey, reduces potential ambiguities, and facilitates a consistent understanding of regulatory requirements.
Benefits to the organisation
Utilizing the European AI Scanner’s technique offers firms several significant benefits:
Efficiency
The tool streamlines the compliance assessment process, saving time and resources that can be redirected towards innovation and growth.
Accuracy
The technique employs advanced algorithms to ensure thorough assessments, minimizing the risk of overlooking compliance gaps.
Standardisation
Firms can achieve a consistent and standardised understanding of regulatory requirements, avoiding confusion and misinterpretation.
Guidance
The tool provides actionable insights and recommendations, guiding firms on how to address compliance gaps effectively.
Transparency
The technique enhances transparency by providing a clear breakdown of compliance status, helping firms communicate their adherence to stakeholders.
Risk Mitigation
By identifying potential risks and ensuring regulatory alignment, firms can reduce the likelihood of penalties, reputational damage, and legal challenges.
Limitations of the approach
While the European AI Scanner offers substantial benefits, it’s important to acknowledge certain limitations:
Complex Scenarios
Extremely complex AI systems or unique use cases might require additional expertise beyond what the tool can provide.
Dynamic Regulations
The tool might not immediately account for rapidly evolving regulatory changes, necessitating periodic updates to remain current.
Interpretation Variability
Interpretation of some regulatory aspects may still require human judgment due to the nuance of legal language.
Technical Dependencies
The tool’s accuracy relies on accurate and complete information provided by the firm, and any inaccuracies in data might affect the assessment’s reliability.
Limited Contextual Understanding
The tool might not fully grasp the unique contextual intricacies of every firm, potentially resulting in recommendations that need customisation.
Further Links (including relevant standards)
- AI & Partners: https://www.ai-and-partners.com/software
- OECD.AI: https://oecd.ai/en/catalogue/tools/european-ai-scanner
Further AI Assurance Information
- For more information about other techniques visit the CDEI Portfolio of AI Assurance Tools: https://www.gov.uk/ai-assurance-techniques
- For more information on relevant standards visit the AI Standards Hub: https://aistandardshub.org/